The Shrike:Reunion
by Laylinka
Summary: Ami meets Shinghai Kazuhiko who suffers from injuries and is now in the hospital with amnesia. The young reporter vows to help him regain his memories. People claiming to be his family take him from the hospital. He tells her to stop helping him when an attempt is made on his life.
1. Chapter 1

Started: May 2017

Finished: June 2017

Ami answered her phone. "Hello?" she said.

"Ami."

"Mr. Shingai?" she beamed. "Where have you been? I-"

"I called to tell you I can't allow you to help me anymore," he stated neutrally. She was shocked. The line was quiet. She was afraid he had hung up.

Why? she asked.

"I thank you for your kindness. I won't contact you again."

"Wait, I found an old book of yours. It might have been yours. Let me give it to you." He paused, then gave her a name of a place to leave it.

"Do you know where that is?" She hesitated, wanting to keep him on the phone longer.

"I can find it." She finally said. Moments passed as he searched for words to say. The phone went dead, leaving her sad and worried about him.

She looked up and found the address to the place he suggested on her tablet. She traveled there, the next morning, glancing around frequently in hopes of catching a glimpse of him. She found the place to be a plaza of abandoned buildings, with very little surveillance if any. She found a place to sit and read a book she brought. Hours passed, and it was lunchtime. She played games on her phone and nibbled on food in her bag. As it reached dusk, it didn't even occur to her that place was creepy and that she probably shouldn't be there.

Shingai made his way to the destination with his head down but always on the look out. "Ami," he said in surprise and a ghost of a smile touched his lips.

"Mr. Shingai," She stood quickly and bowed slightly. "I had to see you, especially if it was my last chance."

"How long have you been here?"

"Awhile," she looked down embarrassed.

"You didn't even know if I'd come here today, or if I was even in Tokyo. What about your commitments?"

"I'm a talented young reporter. I can get jobs. You were my job." She smiled.

"Not anymore."

"Why?"

"I'm sorry but that's all I can say." He started to walk away regretting he couldn't tell her anything. He didn't want to allude to what he was mixed up in. He didn't want her to go to the police and attract attention to herself.

"At least tell me why." She followed

"It's none of your concern. Please let it go." She stood in front of him.

"I won't let you leave with out an explanation." He started to crack.

…

"I have this sense of impending doom. I'm not totally sure if it's just the not knowing or if it's something very real." He pushed past her.

"Did something happen?"

"No," he lied.

"Then I'm sure the feeling is from the not knowing." She ran in front of him again, and he averted his eyes.

"Thank you for your commitment. You've perhaps shown me the most kindness I've ever been shown."

"Are you remembering more?"

"No."

"Then don't say that. I'm sure that's not true."

"No one came forward. It seems like I have no friends or family."

"Your family, your sister, at the hospital that day."

"She wasn't my family." She stopped, disappointed and confused at his words. She ran and stood in front of him. "No matter who you were, no matter what you did, _I'm sure_ you had some one who has cared for you."

"I can't help but be troubled by how you said that in the past tense."

"I mean you're lost now in a sense, maybe they are lost too." He sighed heavily. " _I'm sure_ they are," she said as she put her head on his shoulder. He looked to her surprised. He wrapped his arms around her in kind, with out thinking twice, not wanting to waste the moment, desperate.

"You can do one thing for me when I'm gone, don't talk about me to anyone and I mean no one, pretend you hadn't met me. Do you hear me?" He pulled away and made her look at him. He studied her face and she nodded sadly. "Good bye," he said before he stepped away from her and continued walking at a hurried pace. She chased after him and grabbed his arm, he pulled away a bit too quickly. "Stop following me. I said good bye." She tried again. He raised his hand and she flinched. Good, he thought.

"You still didn't tell me why. You can tell me. I'm not going to tell anyone. I need some kind of closure."

"I said I feel doomed" he said frustrated, "and I don't want to drag you into it. I-" he hesitated. "I am a monster being chased by other monsters," he confessed. She ran after him and took him by the neck of his hooded sweatshirt.

"A monster? How do you figure that? Don't be ridiculous." He snapped and drug her into a doorway of an abandon building.

"How do you know? Hm? You don't know anything about me. Stop saying you're so sure because there's no way you could know any of it. Is there? Is there?" She swallowed hard. "No! Leave me do deal with this alone. Why is this so hard for you to let go?"

"When I start something, I finish it. You're not exactly gone either." His mouth was wide at her audacity.

"I wanted our parting to be amicable," he said forcefully.

"Amicable? Are you sure you do amicable?" she said with a slight smile, ever wanting keep him talking. His eyes widened, a slight crazed look behind them. Her impudence fascinated him and repelled him at the same time.

"You don't listen very well," he said dangerously.

"I'm not scared of you or your imagined fears." His jaw dropped at her unintentional double edged insult. Immediately, a skewer was pointed at her face.

"Don't you dare minimize my fears you naïve insufferably stubborn girl. You have only met me once."

Her eyes fell upon his weapon, a long thin type of skewer.

"What? what is that?" She looked at it, finally starting to look nervous, but curious.

"What is what? This?" He was fascinated by her curiosity, but also utterly insulted that he couldn't seem to stop her inquisition.

"I- I looked through your book, what I thought might be your book. A book called The Shrike. When I was at your old place, I saw what looked like an art piece, a very disturbing sculpture. A trail of dead bugs leading up to a straw human like figure. There where dozens of skewers, huge pins, sticking out of it, all with insects impaled in them." Looking dazed, he stepped back. He picked up the book that had fallen to the ground and skimmed through it. He gasped, then smiled a little.

He put his hand to his head and breathed in sharply again. The book fell to the ground and so did he. He shook and held his head in his hands. She knelt beside him, not sure if she should run and call for help. Are you ok, are you ok? Can you hear me? She bent to touch him but went to pull back to give him some room. I can go get help. She gasped as he suddenly grabbed her arm, his body still bent, face still buried in his hand. She looked on concerned, her hands gently holding his arm, as if willing him to pull through what ever was going on inside of him. She watched him catch his breath, not bothering to tell him he was gripping her arm much too to tight.

His wide eyes snapped to her face, startling her a bit. "You finished it," he said with a deranged smile and a soft laugh. He grew serious again, still shaking and breath ragged. "Thank you," said and used his other hand to pull her closer. He stared into her eyes, memorizing her face. "Thank you so much," he repeated. He rose to his feet, taking her with him, vibrating with energy almost tangible. "We will meet again," he said, scanning his surroundings with a predatory scowl. "When it's safe, and it will be…soon."

He gave her a small smile and a bow and took off so swiftly it made her jump. He lunged onto a bin, climbed a railing, and scaled a wall to reach the roof. She looked on, shaking inside at the seeming cloud of energy cracking in his wake. Oh my, she thought to herself. His promise was what she wanted to hear from the start. Now that he changed, quite strangely, he was fearless and she was sure he'd keep that promise.


	2. Chapter 2

A month passed since he had left and she received a phone call. She didn't recognize the number, but answered it anyway. Hello?

Miss Nakajima Ami. She smiled.

Shingai Kazuhiko. How are you? Are you well?

Yes. Are you ok?

I'm fine.

Good. I must go. I will call again.

Ok. The call was over so quickly, she couldn't even thank him for calling, but she would, next time. He made it so brief, that he didn't even kindly tell her to take care, he would, next time.

And so it went on, once a month, he would check in. On the 3rd month, she answered the phone.

Hello?

We should meet, he said and she smiled.

Sure. He gave her directions.

He was met with wide curious eyes. He looked just the same as when he left, grey hooded sweatshirt and all, to blend in. He was calm and his mood somber. He gave a nod and a small smile.

"I read your online news articles. You write very well, he said breaking the ice. "You look well," she nodded.

"You too." Her mind wandered as to what to say to him after all this time. Their calls never allowed for much and she didn't want to ramble on about unimportant things when all she wanted to do from the start, was get to know him and help him know himself. "Thank you for your calls, each one telling me that you were ok." She said, settling for something simple.

"You're welcome."

"And for the puppy."

"I was hoping you'd care for it they way you care for me," he said with hands stuffed in his pockets.

"I do." She started to get teary. "It was a really sweet thing to do." She smiled and dried her eyes.

"I'll tell you about myself, but I fear it will make you sad."

"Before all this happened, right before, when I had lost my memory. I had lost my only sibling, an identical twin brother. We got mixed up with some bad people. I found him on a tree branch over a cliff. I tried to reach for him but the branch broke, he fell and I, after him. His body was never found. Then you found me." Her eyes wide finally knowing the truth about his family. "I'm so sorry." She put her hand on his and squeezed it, trying to comfort him when words seemed not enough.

"They were the people hunting me. They thought I was him. They thought I was Kazuhiko. _They brought that girl with them to the hospital that day to trick me_. They didn't know there were two of us, both males, but with one who is a cross dresser, thus mistaken for a sister. I was that 'sister.'" She looked him up and down in wonderment at his confession.

"If you're not Kazuhiko, then, what is your name?"

"Hiromi." She smiled a little.

"That's your real name, not just, your preference for when you dress up?"

"No. It was like that since I was a child."

"Hiromi means beautiful, like you." He smiled a little and whispered,

"Thank you. But the way I acquired that name wasn't beautiful."

"I'm sorry," she quickly lowered her head and let go of his hand. I'm sorry for being trivial when you're being serious." He reached for hers and said,

"It isn't trivial." Just holding her hand gave him slightly more peace of mind. "It allows me to walk about looking unassuming and disarming."

"My father gave me that name after my dead older sister. He was mentally ill and raised me as a girl. He forced me to wear a dress and abused me. I murdered him when I was 9. My brother and I said, he was dead when we got home," he said with ease. She stared at him in shock at his litany of endless sorrows.

"I-" she began but stopped. "What about your mother?" she asked, horrified.

"She died in childbirth, from having me." She looked to him, eyes full of sorrow. She was absolutely overcome and stunned into silence. She held his hand with both of hers.

"I'm sorry," she said.

"I didn't want to make you sad. I shouldn't have told you."

"No. You telling something so private makes me feel privileged, but heartbroken. I want you to feel at ease with me, like I told you that day."

"Thank you for your kindness but I'm afraid I will only fill you with sorrow and fear. I'm damaged, irreparable and irredeemably so."

"What do you say that? Why fear?"

"Ami, when we last met, you made me relax." A ghost of a smile appeared on his lips. "Well, you vexed me but also relaxed me. At a time when I was at my lowest and most stressful, you put your head on my shoulder. You let me hold you, allowing me some semblance of comfort. I don't think it's something I can have, let alone deserve.

"What do you mean? Of course you can have it. Why do you say you don't deserve it?"

"I wasn't myself at the time, but even when I regained my memories I found myself wanting, I- I wanted it again. I'm not only a, mindless, soulless…" he drifted off.

"Why would you say such things?"

"Ami," he said, as he put a hand up slowly, "can I hold you again?" Her eyes became misty and she stepped into him and he attentively wrapped his arms around her. She leaned onto the familiar spot on his shoulder and took handfuls of the grey sweatshirt at his sides because she knew it was welcomed this time. He stayed silent as her affection and peace rushed into him. After many moments he began;

"If I had not regained my memories that day with you, I wouldn't have survived. If I had regained them and you had not got involved, my mission would have been that of suicide. You're right to assume my loneliness. You and your intense optimism and kindness. I never had a friend before. I owe my life to you and I promised we'd meet again." She went to pull away to look him in the face but he didn't loosen the embrace. "I only wish you'd have saved a life that had more a reason to live," he said as a tear ran down his face.

"Don't say that. That simply isn't true."

"You might change your mind," he spoke into the side of her neck. My experience didn't come with out side effects…"

"I know, you think you're a monster because you murdered your father but you felt trapped and you feared what would happen if he even found out that you may have told someone. And the people from the underworld would have killed you, so you had to. I understand your actions."

"That's true, but I'm not talking about that…" he alluded, but stopped.

"What do you mean then?" He choose his words carefully.

"When I sought my revenge, there were agents that stood in my way and I, choose not to kill them for it.

Even when I was locked away for my impulsiveness, locked away to tip me into uncontrolled madness. They could've shot me if they wanted to, but they choose not to. They knew part of my story, perhaps they felt…" he drifted off momentarily. "And if I should ever be compelled to tell you what happened, I didn't want it to have to be a lie, omitting those senseless killings. I wanted there to be a person that I don't lie to."

"You're not answering my questions. Why are you saying you don't deserve this? I already said I understand your reasons for taking matters into your own hands." For as much as he longed to confess everything he was to her, he knew he would disgust her. It would ruin her and sever the last threads tying him to this world.

"I went to the swing set that my brother and I used to play on…I wanted to share. I'm still…human, and, I feel far more then I'd like to," he said a few stray tears fell again. He felt her breathing change and realized she was crying. "Oh Ami," he whispered masking his own sadness. He starting to rub her back with his fingers unsure of what to do. He relaxed when he realized it was ok for them both to be sad. All that mattered was that they were sharing. Moments passed and he could feel her breathing steady again.

"I am sorry. I've burdened you enough. I never wanted to allow you this darkness, but it is me."

"It's not that that I'm not appreciative for what you've already shared with me," she started, "but why would I fear you? Why are you saying those terrible things? What side effects? I want to understand." He finally pulled away just enough to smooth her hair and place his hands on both sides of her face.

"Can I honor my brother by having a couple secrets that only him and I share?" She nodded.

"Of course," she said with tears in her eyes. He brought her close and buried one of his hands in her hair, looked up at the sky, sighed and closed his eyes.

"You cannot imagine the hurricane I was in at that time," he started after a while. "And I was part of it. You fought for me and I needed you to. As much as I pretended I needed no one. Your conviction was so strong and…I wanted to let you in, even though it's dark."

"See? That's a good thing. You're becoming trusting and opening up."

"No, it's selfish. It's selfish. I confess these things to you at risk of dragging you down with me."

"Do you not know what friendship is?"

"It's not a luxury I've been able to afford."

"Friends carry each other through hard times. They help in healing."

"There's no healing for me. I was damned since I was a child."

"Then why are you here? You could've just disappeared after the rampage you went on, but instead you choose to share yourself and a rooftop with some girl who you barely know."

"You're not just some girl." He whispered. He allowed her to pull away some.

"See? I saw you healed here" she put her hands on his face where the bandages used to be. "I want to see you healing here," she put her hands over his heart. He started to shake his head.

"It's black. It's black. Trust me. I'm 2 different people with you. The one you know and the one you don't." He said growing louder and taking her upper arms in a death grip as he spoke. "Because if you did, you'd rue the day you ever met me. I don't know how I ever thought that I could have even this much. It's a tortuous reminder of what I'll never have. All I have is a wretched existence and it's permanent," he said with tears in his eyes. "I would disgust you. Trust me. Trust me!" He noticed her wincing, causing him to take her shirt in the same desperate grip instead. He took a few breaths and calmed himself. "Trust me," he whispered.

She was astonished and shaken at his sudden heated, desperate reaction and she avoided his eyes. For the first time she looked like her faith in him had been shaken and that actually scared him more then anything. For moments they just stared at each other, him not letting go, if she didn't pull away first.

"Hiromi…" she said softly. He let go of the breath he had been holding, relieved that she had used his name, somehow talking that as a sign that she wasn't completely disgusted and discouraged by his outburst.

"Ami…" he said longingly. She looked at him and said,

"If you can't see a bright side, I'll sit with you in the dark." He was overwhelmed that he wasn't met with anger or fear or her just walking away.

"Oh Ami." He threaded his fingers through her hair and brought her forehead to his chin. Her mind finally reeling as to what kind of a monster he alluded to. There was impulsiveness, not wanting to lie and omit the senseless killings of the agents if they had occurred and his involvement with the criminal underworld.

He finally pulled away slightly and put both hands in her hair.

"I can't stay in Tokyo." he said, pulling her from her thoughts.

"Where will you go?" she asked concerned.

"I'm not sure yet."

"I could come with you or meet you there." He smiled.

"You never cease to surprise me. That's something that needs more then a rash decision. How could you even consider that?"

"You shouldn't be alone."

"It's what I am."

"You had a brother who loved you and looked after you. You aren't meant to be alone."

"I will always be watching my back. That's not a good life for you."

"I have to make sure you don't…hurt yourself." He placed her head under his chin. He waited a few moments and cleared his throat.

"I will make my best effort to live, ok?"

"Promise me that you will contact me somehow. Leave comments on my news articles." She smiled some. He pulled away just to look her.

"Promise me that you won't worry your life away because of me."

"Don't say that. You say that like I won't hear from you again." He parted with her reluctantly. He thought about reassuring her but he didn't want to make a promise he wasn't sure he could keep. She had a death grip on the bottom of his sweatshirt. "You told me you were glad I didn't let go, that you didn't want me to. Give me some kind of plan. Please. I don't want you to just disappear." Like a moth to flame, he couldn't stay parted with her for long before his hands slid to her shoulders and his fingers played at the back of her neck. His face inches from hers.

"I would tell you if I knew. I'm not sure of my resources or where I'll find stability. Also, there is hollowness burning a hole in me from the inside out, till there is nothing left but embers. I'm grateful you helped me regain myself to do what had to be done. That was my purpose for surviving, if I had one. I guess that makes you my angel then, for guiding. No matter what happens to me, please be at peace with that, being my angel." She honestly understood, but wanted to change his mind so badly.

"I understand," she said with her gaze down cast. He used his thumbs to push her chin up to look him in the eyes.

"Are you sure you understand?" he asked.

"I understand, Hiromi. I'm sure."

He discreetly followed her home to make sure she got there safe. From a rooftop he watched her disappear from sight and suddenly felt as alone as ever. He closed his eyes and weighted his options again.


	3. Chapter 3

Ami walked on her way home from an interview when she thought she saw a familiar face in the crowd. As he walked with his head down in a dark jacket with the hood up, he thought he heard his name in the distance ahead.

"Mr. Shingai?" He started to scan the crowd. "Mr. Shingai?" A female voice said again in a hushed tone. Getting a good look at her, he turned around. She caught up to where he had stood to put a hand on his shoulder, but it was too late, the man had disappeared into thin air. He thought about letting it go, but he wanted to know who could call his name so casually, but not here, not out in the open. He knew it couldn't have been a case of mistaken identity because she had looked right at him. As she walked she thought to herself, he is in hiding. 'I shouldn't have tried to approach him. I really shouldn't have. That was so stupid. If he wanted to meet with me, he would've told me. But…he's back,' she thought with a sense of relief and happiness. She was unlocking her door when he appeared next to her.

"Hello," he said making her jump. "Sorry I was rude earlier. Can I come in?"

"Of course." He shut the door behind her. She looked him over for a few moments, happy to see him. "Your hair is shorter. I can see your face much better now," she smiled. "I was worried about you. Can I get you anything?" He was caught aback at how casually and even affectionately she was talking to him.

"Where did you think I went?"

"I, I had no idea." He decided to cut the act quickly.

"Who are you?" He asked, his demeanor off.

"Who am I?" she asked concerned.

"Are you an agent?" She hesitated, confused.

"No, you know that."

"Do I? I've never seen you before. How do you know me?" She was quiet for a long time, in horror that something could've happened to him again.

"You're not…Shingai Hiromi?" she asked hesitantly. His eyes grew large.

"How do you know that name?" He asked suspiciously. She gasped as she put her hands over her mouth in shock.

"You…you're Shingai Kazuhiko, aren't you?" He rushed her, grabbing her by her upper arms, she gasped and froze _._

"How do you know him? When did you see him? Where is he now?" He asked anxiously.

"I-" she stuttered and her eyes became misty. "I met him in a hospital after an accident. He had fallen from a cliff. He had amnesia and I was trying to help him regain his memories."

"And did he?"

"Yes. He told me he had a brother, and that you both fell from a cliff, but that his body was never found."

"Where is he now?" Her head fell.

"I don't know. He didn't tell me."

"Really?" He looked at her skeptically, "You two seem close enough that you'd call out to him in the streets and invite him into your home."

"Since you are his brother, you'd know he's very mysterious." He let go and she wiped her eyes.

"What has he told you about him and I?"

"Only that before the accident you both had got mixed up with the wrong people and they tried to kill you. He got mistaken for you and was hunted. Luckily, I was able to help him get his memories back and he was able to defend himself and take revenge on them."

"How exactly did you help?"

"He asked me to go to the house where he grew up to look for clues as to who he was. Well, then he told me to stop because he knew there where people hunting him and he didn't want me to get hurt. I brought him a book call the Shrike thinking it might trigger something, and it did."

"What happened? What did he say?"

Not much, he said we'd meet again when it was safe and thanked me, then ran off."

"Was that the last time you saw him?"

"No. I saw him one other time."

"When?"

"5 months and 2 days. He asked me to meet him, just so he could say good bye."

"Just so he could say good bye?" He asked in disbelief, thinking that if he didn't know any better, he'd think they were talking about 2 different people. "Do you," he began hesitantly, "think he has feelings for you?"

"I don't know. It's never been like that. He told me more about himself, mostly heartbreaking things." He swallowed, suddenly not wanting to know anymore due to shame.

"I see," he said with tears forming in his eyes. He turned away from her to hide his sadness. She ran and got tissues and handed them to him. "Thank you," he said barely audibly. What ever Hiromi had chosen to share with this young lady was not his business anyway. If he trusted her, and he knew his brothers trust wouldn't come easily, if at all, then it wasn't any of his concern. It made him happy that he had formed a bond with another person, something he believed was impossible, but also caused him to break down even more. It also made him relived that his brother was, for all intensive purposes, ok, last time she had seen him. She stared at his back, searching for something to say.

"I tried to make him promise to contact me if he could, when he got settled." His head snapped to her attention.

"He's contacted you in the past? How?"

"A couple phone calls to let me know that his…mission, was going well and that I needn't worry." Kazuhiko was still, but his eyes were wide, again thinking that they were talking about 2 different people, if he didn't know any better.

"Is that it?"

"Yes."

"He left no way for you to contact him?"

"No."

"Really? He shared private things with you and showed you an unforeseen amount of care, yet, he left you no way to contact him?" He watched her wipe her eyes again.

"No. He didn't want to chance anything looking suspicious, any attention being focused on me, anything getting traced back to him. Why to do I feel like I'm being interrogated?"

"Because some of the things you told me about his actions make me think we're talking about a very different person and that begs more questions." She looked down, remembering Hiromi telling her he felt like 2 different people with her. "Did Hiromi tell you why we where involved with those bad people?" He asked, wanting gauge just how much she knew.

"No." He stepped back and let out a breath of relief. So she didn't know about his brother's impulse. He sighed with his back against the wall. His eyes settled on her.

"By the way," he deadpanned. "That was also very dangerous the way you called out him out in the street when you must be aware that people are still looking for him." She looked down at a loss, embarrassed and ashamed.

"I had thought I'd never see him again. It was reckless. I know. But he didn't..."

"What? He didn't what?" She struggled to tell Kazuhiko the hopeless state of mind Hiromi was in with there being no way to contact him to tell him that his brother is indeed alive and is trying to find him. He watched her eyes become sad and her gaze fall to the floor.

"He didn't promise me that he'd see me again, or contact me. The time before that, he had promised. He spoke of hollowness since loosing you and…it being hard to find a reason to live." His face became pained but he said nothing. He sank to the floor. She knelt in front of him silently out of respect and shared sadness. After a few minutes she said softly, I will make dinner for us, she said and rose to her feet. As she cooked in the kitchen, she kept an eye on Kazuhiko to make sure he didn't just leave. He still managed to soundlessly appear in the kitchen doorframe.

"I will call you about once a month to check if you've heard anything from Hiromi." She nodded, writing down her number and gave it to him. He went to walk out the door.

"Kazuhiko wait." You can stay and eat.

"I have to find my brother."

"I know you're in hiding, good meals must be hard to come by."

"It's not important." Seeing him walk out the door broke her heart same as when Hiromi walked away. The moment the door clicked shut, she ran and opened the door, saying;

"I want you to find him just as much as you do. Please accept my hospitality. Please let me help him by helping you." As stubborn and guilty as he felt he knew she was right. He came back in without a word and knelt down with her at the table. She set the table and they ate in silence. When they finished, he covered his face with his hands and said;

"I'm just so tired."

"Rest here for the night," she offered. "What's mine is yours."

"I don't deserve any rest."

"Nonsense, you're no good to anyone, if you don't rest."

"I refuse to intrude."

"A friends' loved one, who was presumed dead, shows up at my doorstep. Kazuhiko, I told you, what's mine is yours." He glanced at the love seat. She was right, as much as he didn't want to need anyone or anything. "I'll bring you a pillow and blanket."

"I don't need anything," he said. She decided to bring him those things anyway. She leaned the pillow on the couch next to him and covered him with the blanket. She knelt down next to him.

"I'm Nakajima Ami. It's nice to meet you," she said, finally introducing herself. He nodded back. She gazed at him for a few long moments in the low light and was amazed at how identical they really were. She bowed and said, good night. He looked at her and spoke,

"You poor thing."

"Huh?" She said.

"I see the way you've been looking at me tonight, you look at me like I'm someone who's face you've taken a profound liking to." Her eyes widened. She was embarrassed and wanted to dispute it, then a little sad and wondered why he even had to say something like that.

"I know he has secrets. He's entitled to some after the hell he went through. It's fine. Though it bothered me when he said he didn't deserve this," she motioned to the blanket that covered him. "Things like comfort. Also, when he said I would fear him if I knew what he's done."

"You would." She thought about challenging him but decided against it. She nodded in acknowledgment and again said good night.

The next morning she woke to find him gone, as she expected. On the couch there was a note.

Thank you for you hospitality, however, I don't think I can allow you to do that again. My wishes are that of my brothers. With my circumstances being what they are, it would be advisable not to involve you further.


End file.
